A massive serpent stared straight at him—its body so enormous that for a moment, Chen forgot to breathe. Shock rippled through him. Were the ancient beasts from history… real?
He had once read in the library that countless unknown creatures slept beneath the earth for thousands of years.
And now, one of them stood before him, awake.
It had probably been roused by the destruction caused by his sword slash.
Chen's mind raced. He wasn't strong enough to fight a high-level beast like this. He had to escape—somehow.
But before he could move, the serpent lunged.
Chen darted aside just in time. The snake's massive body crashed into the trees, shattering them like twigs. Not a single scratch appeared on the creature, while Chen exhaled shakily.
If I hadn't moved… I would've been torn apart.
He quickly understood: running wouldn't work.
If this serpent reached the city, it would cause a disaster—and Chen refused to let innocent people die because of him. After all, he was the reason this beast had awakened.
He raised his sword and launched multiple strikes, but the serpent's hardened scales barely reacted. Instead, it only grew more furious, attacking with wild aggression.
Chen activated the Flash Technique he had recently mastered, slipping past every strike with swift, fluid movements.
Suddenly, the serpent released a cloud of poison.
Chen's expression tightened. He held his breath instinctively—but then froze.
The poison didn't touch him.
A thin layer of dark energy shimmered around him, forming a protective shield of its own will.
Chen's eyes narrowed. Good. Then I just need its weakness.
While dodging a barrage of attacks, he observed carefully.
Every time he struck, the serpent shielded its head.
There.
That was the weak point.
He unleashed a powerful strike toward the serpent's skull, but the beast sensed it and jerked aside. Chen didn't stop. He met the serpent head-on, clashing fiercely, waiting—calculating—for the perfect opening.
And when the serpent focused entirely on attacking…
Chen moved.
His sword slashed across its head, and the serpent crashed to the ground, motionless.
Seizing the moment, Chen drove his blade into its skull. The creature's final breath slipped away.
Before Chen could even relax, something startling happened.
Dark energy surged from his sword, absorbing the serpent's body.
Within seconds, the massive creature vanished completely.
Chen stared at his sword, horrified.
"So you'll take everything for yourself? What am I supposed to get? That snake would've sold for a fortune…" he muttered, almost on the verge of tears at the loss.
Grumbling, he walked away.
A few minutes later, a group of men dressed in black arrived at the scene.
An old man crouched, touching the ground. His expression darkened.
"A beast that existed thousands of years ago was here."
Another man spoke in disbelief.
"But that's impossible. How can a creature survive for thousands of years?"
"It's possible," the old man replied. "Spiritual energy has begun returning to our world. Those who slept beneath the earth are waking. And considering the energy I sense… this creature was a mythical type. Fortunately, it was still young—its strength was limited."
He paused, eyes sharpening.
"But the real question is… who fought it? Even at its lowest level, this beast was as strong as a Nascent Soul cultivator."
The men stiffened.
Their city had only a handful of Nascent Soul experts—and none of them would be here.
The old man continued, voice heavy with suspicion.
"Find this person. Whoever they are… they might interfere with our future plans."
The group nodded immediately.
Meanwhile, unaware that multiple factions had begun tracking him, Chen walked through the college lobby.
He didn't notice the eyes following him—until someone suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into a room.
Instinct took over.
Chen seized the attacker by the throat—but when he saw the face in front of him, his expression froze.
"You…?"